Limerick full of confidence and ready to cause an upset in Tailteann Cup final

RTÉ News​

10-07-2025

Limerick's hurlers might still be reeling from their shock All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Dublin, but the county's footballers are hoping to cap an excellent season with more silverware when they face Kildare in the Tailteann Cup final on Saturday.
Back in March, the Treaty County recorded an emphatic 4-24 to 1-17 victory over Waterford at Mick Neville Park, with the outstanding James Naughton accounting for 4-12 of the victors' tally.
Jimmy Lee's charges proved no match for Cork in the Munster SFC, but they topped their Tailteann Cup group and progressed to the final via defeats of Wexford and Wicklow in the knockout stages.
Seven points down after 52 minutes against the Garden County in the semi-finals, Limerick rallied in spectacular fashion to prevail on a 2-18 to 1-17 scoreline.
"There has been a great buzz around the camp," Limerick captain Cillian Fahy told RTÉ Sport ahead of the Croke Park decider.
"Spirits are high and we're delighted to be here and delighted to prolong the season and to get into a final and get back to Croke Park."
Promotion to Division 3 was the county's primary goal at the start of the year, with the Dromcollogher/Broadford clubman revealing that their other achievements led to shifting ambitions for the campaign.
"We didn't look that far ahead at the start of the year," he said. "I suppose you're looking at the season in stages. The first thing we wanted to do was to be promoted.
"Then obviously we wanted to win the league final, and I suppose as the season went on, ambitions changed when you start ticking things off the list.
"I think the main thing for us entering the Tailteann Cup was to get out of our group and get back to Croke Park. To get back to a semi-final was the big goal and then when you're there, you want to win it.
"Ultimately, I suppose it wasn't our mission at the start of the year, but it definitely became it as the season went on."
Two prizes will be up for grabs on Saturday at HQ – the Tailteann Cup itself and also the guarantee of group football in the All-Ireland SFC next season.
The latter will be key in Limerick's hopes to kick on football in the county, but for Fahy, the immediate focus has to be hoisting the cup aloft on Saturday afternoon.
"I suppose in the short term it's the All-Ireland championships, the All-Ireland medal and winning a national trophy in Croke Park," he said.
"It would be a massive privilege.
"I suppose down the line, for the further development of Limerick football overall, playing Sam Maguire would be huge."
Limerick go into the final as underdogs against a Kildare outfit who secured a promotion of their own to Division 2.
"They've had a great year," Fahy admitted. "They've been putting up some massive scores throughout the league and the championship.
"They were very unlucky in their Leinster Championship game. They're an incredible team and moving up to Division 2, so they're rightly favourites.
"It'll be a tough challenge."
Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship semi-finals with RTÉ Sport. Kerry v Tyrone on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Meath v Donegal on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow live blogs on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to commentaries on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 10.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.